Manufacturing a base stock

ABSTRACT

Systems and a method for manufacturing a base stock from a light gas stream are provided. An example method includes oxidizing the light gas stream to form a raw ethylene stream. Water is removed from the raw ethylene stream, and carbon monoxide in the raw ethylene stream is oxidized. Carbon dioxide is separated from the raw ethylene stream, and the raw ethylene stream is oligomerized to form a raw oligomer stream. A light olefinic stream is distilled from the raw oligomer stream and a light alpha olefin is recovered from the light olefinic stream. A heavy olefinic stream is distilled from the raw oligomer stream. The heavy olefinic stream is hydro-processed to form a hydro-processed stream. the hydro-processed stream is distilled to form the base stock.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/721,188, filed on Aug. 22, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The techniques described herein provide systems and methods for manufacturing a lubricant base stock from a methane or ethane feedstock. The methane or ethane feedstock is processed to generate an ethylene stream that is oligomerized and hydro-processed to form the base stock.

BACKGROUND

This section is intended to introduce various aspects of the art, which may be associated with examples of the present techniques. This description is believed to assist in providing a framework to facilitate a better understanding of particular aspects of the present techniques. Accordingly, it should be understood that this section should be read in this light, and not necessarily as admissions of prior art.

High molecular weight paraffins suitable for the production of high quality lube base stock and distillate fuel are typically in short supply and expensive to manufacture. In addition, the oligomerization of olefins is typically performed with high purity feed streams, such as polymer grade ethylene.

Some previous research activities have focused on using impure ethylene feeds to produce polyalphaolefins (PAOs). For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0249474 by Nicholas et al. discloses a “process for oligomerizing dilute ethylene.” As described in the publication, a fluid catalytic cracking process (FCC) may provide a dilute ethylene stream, as heavier hydrocarbons are processed. The ethylene in the dilute ethylene stream may be oligomerized using a catalyst, such as an amorphous silica-alumina base with a Group VIII or VIB metal that is resistant to feed impurities such as hydrogen sulfide, carbon oxides, hydrogen and ammonia. About 40 wt. %, or greater, of the ethylene in the dilute ethylene stream can be converted to heavier hydrocarbons.

Further, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0275669 by Daage, et al., discloses the “production of lubricant base oils from dilute ethylene feeds.” As described in this publication, a dilute ethylene feed, for example, formed while cracking heavier hydrocarbons, may be oligomerized to form oligomers for use as fuels or lubricant base oils. The oligomerization of the impure dilute ethylene is performed with a zeolitic catalyst. The zeolitic catalyst is resistant to the presence of poisons such as sulfur and nitrogen in the ethylene feed. Diluents such as light paraffins, may be present without interfering with the process.

The feed used for both processes described above is derived from the processing of oil in a fluid catalytic cracker (FCC). In an FCC, heavier hydrocarbons, such as crude oil fractions with a molecular weight of about 300 to about 600, or higher, are contacted with a catalyst at high temperatures to form lower molecular weight compounds. The byproduct gases from the FCC include olefins that may be used to form the oligomers.

The oligomerization of blends of ethylene with co-monomers, such as 1-hexene, 1-heptene, 1-octene, 1-dodecene, and 1-hexadecene, has been explored. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,238,764 describes a process for the co-oligomerization of ethylene and alpha olefins. The co-oligomerization of the alpha olefins with ethylene is performed in the presence of a metal catalyst system. The metal catalyst system may include bis-aryliminepyridine MX_(a) complexes, [bis-aryliminepyridine MY_(p).L_(b) ⁺][NC⁻]_(q) complexes, or both. The process is carried out in an ethylene pressure of less than about 2.5 megapascals (MPa).

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, the present invention provides a system for manufacturing a base stock from a light gas stream. The system includes an oxidation reactor configured to form a raw ethylene stream from the light gas stream, a separation system configured to remove water from the raw ethylene stream, a catalytic reactor configured to oxidize carbon monoxide in the raw ethylene stream, and a removal system configured to remove carbon dioxide from the raw ethylene stream. An oligomerization reactor is configured to oligomerize the raw ethylene stream to form an oligomer stream. A distillation column is configured to separate the oligomer stream into a light olefinic stream, wherein the distillation column is configured to recover a light alpha-olefin, an intermediate olefinic stream, and a heavy olefinic stream. A hydro-processing reactor is configured to hydro-process the heavy olefinic stream to form a hydro-processed stream, and a product distillation column is configured to separate the hydro-processed stream to form the base stock.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a base stock from a light gas stream. The method includes oxidizing the light gas stream to form an impure ethylene mixture, removing water from the impure ethylene mixture, oxidizing carbon monoxide in the impure ethylene mixture, and separating carbon dioxide from the impure ethylene mixture. The impure ethylene mixture is oligomerized to form a raw oligomer stream. A light olefinic stream is distilled from the raw oligomer stream and recovering a light alpha olefin from the light olefinic stream. A heavy olefinic stream is distilled from the raw oligomer stream, and hydro-processed to form a hydro-processed stream. The hydro-processed stream is distilled to form the base stock.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a system for manufacturing a base oil stock from a light gas stream. The system includes an oxidation reactor to form a raw ethylene stream from the light gas stream, a separation system configured to remove water from the raw ethylene stream, a catalytic reactor to oxidize carbon monoxide in the raw ethylene stream, and a removal system to remove carbon dioxide from the raw ethylene stream. An oligomerization reactor is configured to convert the raw ethylene stream to a higher molecular weight stream by contacting the raw ethylene stream with a homogenous catalyst. A distillation column is configured to recover a light alpha-olefin (LAO) stream. The distillation column is configured to separate an intermediate olefinic stream from the higher molecular weight stream and send the intermediate olefinic stream to a dimerization reactor or an alkylation reactor. The distillation column is configured to separate a heavy olefinic stream from the higher molecular weight stream. A hydro-processing reactor is configured to demetallate the heavy olefinic stream, to crack the heavy olefinic stream, to form isomers in the heavy olefinic stream, or to hydrogenate olefinic bonds in the heavy olefinic stream, or any combinations thereof. A product distillation column is included in the system to separate the heavy olefinic stream to form a number of base stock streams.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages of the present techniques are better understood by referring to the following detailed description and the attached drawings.

FIG. 1(A) is a simplified block diagram of a system for producing base stocks from a C1 or C2 feedstock, in accordance with examples.

FIG. 1(B) is a simplified block diagram of a recovery system for dehydrating the raw ethylene stream 106 formed from OCM or ODE-C2, in accordance with examples.

FIG. 1(C) is a simplified block diagram of a CO₂ removal system, in accordance with examples.

FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of another system for producing base stocks from a C1 or C2 feedstock, in accordance with examples.

FIG. 3 is a process flow diagram of a method for producing base oil stocks from a C1 or C2 feedstock, in accordance with examples.

FIG. 4 is a drawing of related homogeneous catalysts, having different ligands, that may be used for the oligomerization or dimerization processes, in accordance with examples.

FIG. 5 is a plot of the Schultz-Flory distribution of a product that includes different carbon numbers, in accordance with examples.

FIG. 6 is a plot of the effect of the change in carbon number composition on a weight fraction of a product as the Schultz-Flory distribution changes, in accordance with examples.

FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B) are plots of a gas chromatograms illustrating the changes caused by dimerization of an alpha olefin mixture, in accordance with examples.

FIG. 8 is a series of sequential plots of gas chromatograms illustrating the change caused by alkylation of a mixture of C14-C24 linear alpha-olefins (LAOS) over a five hour time-span, in accordance with examples.

FIGS. 9(A) and (B) are gas chromatograms of the alkylation of an alpha olefin mixture after six hours comparing different catalysts, in accordance with examples.

FIGS. 10(A) and 10(B) are plots of gas chromatograms illustrating the changes caused by hydroisomerization of an olefin mixture, in accordance with examples.

FIG. 11 is a plot of DEPT-135 C-13 NMR spectra illustrating the changes caused by hydroisomerization of an alpha olefin mixture, in accordance with examples.

FIG. 12 is a plot of DEPT-135 C-13 NMR spectra illustrating the changes caused by hydroisomerization of an alkylated alpha olefin mixture, in accordance with examples.

FIG. 13 is a plot of a simulated distillation of alkylated alpha olefin mixtures, in accordance with examples.

FIG. 14 is a plot of a selective oxidation of CO, in accordance with examples.

FIG. 15 is a plot of another selective oxidation of CO, in accordance with examples.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description section, specific embodiments of the present techniques are described. However, to the extent that the following description is specific to a particular embodiment or a particular use of the present techniques, this is intended to be for exemplary purposes only and simply provides a description of the exemplary embodiments. Accordingly, the techniques are not limited to the specific embodiments described below, but rather, include all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents falling within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims.

As hydraulic fracturing provides more low-cost feedstocks, using these feedstocks to make more complex products becomes more important. However, upgrading light gas feedstocks may be problematic. The process described herein allows the coproduction of high quality (Group III) base stock and linear alpha olefins from a light gaseous feedstock, such as a feedstock containing methane, ethane, or both, termed a light gas stream herein. The process begins with the production of an impure ethylene stream from light gaseous feedstock using an oxidation process, such as the oxidative dehydration of ethane (ODH-C2) or the oxidative coupling of methane. The impure ethylene stream is partially purified, for example to remove water, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide from the oxidation process, among other contaminants.

As used herein, “base stock” or “base oil stock” refers to hydrocarbons that may include paraffins, isoparaffins, napthenes, and aromatic compounds in the lubricant range of molecular weights. The base stocks may include semi-synthetic or synthetic feedstocks such as linear paraffins and isoparaffins in a lubricant range of molecular weights, in addition to highly branched molecules useful for chemical applications, such as hydrocarbon fluids. Group I base stocks or base oils are defined as base oils with less than 90 wt. % saturated molecules and/or at least 0.03 wt. % sulfur content. Group I base stocks also have a viscosity index (VI) of at least 80 but less than 120. Group II base stocks or base oils contain at least 90 wt. % saturated molecules and less than 0.03 wt. % sulfur. Group II base stocks also have a viscosity index of at least 80 but less than 120. Group III base stocks or base oils contain at least 90 wt. % saturated molecules and less than 0.03 wt. % sulfur, with a viscosity index of at least 120. Other hydrocarbons that may be coproduced with base stocks include gasoline, diesel fuels, distillates, and other hydrocarbon fluids.

Further, the base stocks may be referred to as light neutral (LN), medium neutral (MN), and heavy neutral (HN), for example, as determined by viscosity. The term “neutral” generally indicates the removal of most nitrogen and sulfur atoms to lower reactivity in the final oil. The base stocks are generally classified by viscosity, measured at 100° C. as a kinematic viscosity under the techniques described in ASTM D445. The viscosity may be reported in millimeters{circumflex over ( )}2/second (centistokes, cSt). The base stocks may also be classified by boiling point range, for example, determined by simulated distillation on a gas chromatograph, under the techniques described in ASTM D 2887. It should be noted that the viscosity ranges and boiling point ranges described herein are merely examples, and may change, depending on the content of linear paraffins, branched paraffins, cyclic hydrocarbons, and the like. A light neutral base stock may have a kinematic viscosity of about 4 cSt to about 6 cSt and may have a boiling point range of about 380° C. to about 450° C. A medium neutral base stock may have a kinematic viscosity of about 6 cSt to about 10 cSt and a boiling point range of about 440° C. to about 480° C. A heavy neutral base stock may have a kinematic viscosity of about 10 cSt to about 20 cSt, or higher, and a boiling point range of about 450° C. to about 565° C.

The production of higher molecular weight linear paraffins and isoparaffins, for example, to form base stocks, from hydrocarbon streams may involve numerous steps, which affect the costs for the final products. One example of the production of these compounds is the production of syngas, CO and H₂ by steam reforming of methane, followed by methanol synthesis. The methanol may then be converted to olefins via a methane-to-olefins (MTO) process. The olefins are further oligomerized to higher molecular weight hydrocarbons. In another example, syngas is produced for use in Fischer-Tropsch reactions which preferentially synthesize linear high molecular weight products. However, these options may be economically problematic due to the need to first produce syngas.

As used herein, a “catalyst” is a material that increases the rate of specific chemical reactions under certain conditions of temperature and pressure. Catalysts may be heterogeneous, homogenous, and bound. A heterogeneous catalyst is a catalyst that has a different phase from the reactants. The phase difference may be in the form of a solid catalyst with liquid or gaseous reactants or in the form of immiscible phases, such as an aqueous acidic catalyst suspended in droplets in an organic phase holding the reactants. A heterogeneous catalyst may be bound, such as a zeolite bound with alumina or another metal oxide. A homogeneous catalyst is soluble in the same phase as the reactants, such as an organometallic catalyst dissolved in an organic solvent with a reactant.

The processed impure feed stream is then introduced to a reaction zone in an oligomerization reactor where a homogeneous catalyst, for example, as described with respect to FIG. 4, is used to generate oligomers in an oligomerization process. The oligomerization reaction forms oligomers by reacting small molecule olefins, such as ethylene and propylene, termed monomers, to form a short chain or oligomer. The oligomers may include two to 50 monomers, or more, depending on the reaction conditions used. The oligomers may be linear alpha-olefins with a Schulz-Flory (S-F) distribution. As used herein, an S-F distribution is a probability distribution that describes the relative ratios of oligomers of different lengths that occur in an ideal step-growth oligomerization process. Generally, shorter oligomers are favored over longer oligomers.

However, the S-F distribution of the olefinic products may be controlled by the selection of an organic ligand on the catalyst, or through the selection of reaction conditions such as temperature and pressure. These choices may be used to enhance the production of either light LAOs or heavier, base stock range molecules. The product olefins may then be split into light olefinic (C12−), medium olefinic (C12-C22), and heavy olefinic (C24+) fractions, for example, through conventional distillation. It may be noted that the olefinic fractions may not be pure olefins, but may include other compounds with similar boiling points, such as paraffinic compounds. The light fraction may include C4, C6, C8, C10, and C12 LAOS, the medium fraction may be sent to a dimerization or alkylation reactor using a catalyst selected from a variety of heterogeneous or homogeneous catalysts, and the heavy fraction may be sent to a demetallation zone or stage then to a hydrocracking/hydroisomerization (HDC/HDI) reactor to produce the high quality (Group III) base stock.

The ability to control the S-F distribution makes the targeted production of particular products possible. In some examples, an S-F distribution of about 0.75 to about 0.91 is targeted to make various wax and base stock products with carbon numbers of at least 24. In other examples, an S-F distribution of about 0.83 to about 0.87 is targeted to make products having about 24 to about 50 carbon atoms, such as lower viscosity base stocks. In further examples, an S-F distribution of about 0.6 to about 0.75 is targeted to make products having about four to about 22 carbon atoms, such as various linear alpha olefins. The relation of S-F distribution to various carbon numbers is discussed with respect to FIG. 6.

For ease of reference, certain terms used in this application and their meanings as used herein are set forth. To the extent a term is not defined herein, it should be given the broadest definition persons in the pertinent art have given that term as reflected in at least one printed publication or issued patent. Further, the present techniques are not limited by the usage of the terms shown herein, as all equivalents, synonyms, new developments, and terms or techniques that serve the same or a similar purpose are considered to be within the scope of the present claims.

FIG. 1(A) is a simplified block diagram of a system 100 for producing base stocks from a C1 or C2 feedstock, in accordance with examples. The process begins with the introduction of the light gaseous feed stream 102 to a oxidative reactor 104. Depending on the process used to produce the light gaseous feed stream 102, other treatments may be used for purification including, for example, filtration, distillation, membrane purification, and the like.

Oxidation Processing

In the oxidation reactor 104, the light gaseous feed stream 102 is contacted with a catalyst. The catalyst and conditions depend on the process. Oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) converts methane and oxygen at high temperatures (>700° C.) over catalysts, and oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane (ODH-C2) converts ethane either at lower temperatures (350° C.-500° C.) using mixed metal oxides, such as MoVTeNbOx type M1 phase, as a catalyst, or at high temperatures (750° C.) using a selective H₂ combustion catalyst. In one example, the selective H₂ combustion catalyst is an In₂O₃/SiO₂. In another example, the catalyst is an unsupported Bi₂O₃ or manganese oxide. The oxidation is performed in the oxidation reactor 104 with the introduction of an oxygen (or air) stream 105.

The catalysts can be modified with other metal oxides (e.g., MgO/SiO₂) and doped with chemical elements (e.g., La/P), resulting in varying lifetime, conversion of ethanol and selectivity for ethylene to form a raw ethylene stream 106. The mixture of products in the raw ethylene stream 106 from the oxidation reactor 104 may include ethylene, water, methane, ethane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide.

A separation system 108 may be used to separate the water formed in the oxidation process from the raw ethylene stream 106 to form a dehydrated stream 110. The separation system 108 may include a condenser to remove water, for example, as described with respect to FIG. 1(B), a caustic column, or a dryer, forming the dehydrated stream 110. After water removal, the dehydrated stream 110 may have less than about 1 vol. % water vapor, less than about 0.1 vol. % water vapor, or less than about 0.05 vol. %.

The dehydrated stream 110 can be passed to a catalytic reactor 112 for the selective conversion of carbon monoxide (CO) to carbon dioxide (CO2), as discussed further with respect to the examples. An oxygen feed stream 113 is injected into the catalytic reactor 112 to oxidize the CO. In an example, the catalyst used for the conversion includes the material 0.1% Pt/0.3% Co/SiO₂. In another example, the catalyst used for the conversion includes the material 1.0% Pt/3.0% Co/SiO₂. The conditions for such selective conversion of CO may be between 25-400 C, or between 50-250 C, and pressure between 50 and 500 psig. The resulting converted feed 114 may be processed to remove CO₂ using a removal system 116, for example, as discussed with respect to FIG. 1(C), forming an oligomerization feed stream 118. When OCM is selected as the oxidation process, the resulting impure ethylene feed has about 10-40 wt. % ethylene, about 5-20 wt. % ethane, about 40-85 wt. % methane, about 0-2 wt. % H₂, about 0-0.05 wt. % CO, about 0-0.05 wt. % CO₂, and about 0-0.05 wt. % H₂O. When ODH of ethane is selected as the oxidation process, the resulting impure ethylene feed has about 20-80 wt. % ethylene, about 20-80 wt. % ethane, about 0-5 wt. % methane, about 0-2 wt. % Hz, about 0-0.05 wt. % CO, about 0-0.05 wt. % CO₂, and about 0-0.05 wt. % H₂O.

Oligomerization

The oligomerization feed stream 118 is provided to an oligomerization reactor 120, where it may be contacted with a homogeneous catalyst 122, such as an organometallic catalyst. The homogeneous catalyst 122 is generally an impurity tolerant organometallic catalyst, such as an Iron (II) pyridine-bis-imide (Fe-PBI), capable of the oligomerization of the oligomerization feed stream 118 to C10+ products, or C25+ products, to produce diesel, lube, and hydrocarbon fluid molecules, such as the base stocks.

An example of a homogenous catalyst that may be includes an iron (II) pyridine-bis-imine (Fe-PBI) compound having a structure of formula 1:

In formula 1, X is a halogen or hydrocarbyl radical, such as C1. Each R substituent is independently a halogen or hydrocarbyl radical, and each n is an integer from 1-5 representing the number of R groups present. Each n is 1, 2 or 3. In some examples, n is 2 or 3. Each R is a C1-C10 alkyl, or a halogen. In some examples, R is methyl, ethyl or n-propyl. In some examples, at least one R is methyl. In some examples, at least one R is fluorine. In some examples, Rn comprises one, two, or three substituents, wherein each of the substituents is methyl, or fluorine. Each R^(a), and R^(b) are independently a hydrogen, halogen or hydrocarbyl radical. In some examples, each R^(a) is a hydrocarbyl or hydrogen, or a hydrogen. Each R^(b) is a hydrocarbyl, such as a C1-C10 alkyl, or methyl.

The homogenous catalyst may include an iron (II) pyridine-bis-imine (Fe-PBI) compound having a structure of formula 2:

In formula 2, each R^(a), R^(b) and X are as defined above, and each A is independently a substituted aryl group including one, two or three R substituents as defined above.

In some examples, each A is defined by a structure shown in formula 3:

In formula 3, the one position of the phenyl ring is bonded to the nitrogen of the iron (II) pyridine-bis-imine complex, and each R², R³, R⁴, R⁵, and R⁶ are independently C1 to C10 alkyl, halogen or hydrogen radical. In some examples, each R², R³, R⁴, R⁵, and R⁶ are independently methyl, ethyl, to n-propyl, fluoro, and hydrogen. In some examples, each R², R³, R⁴, R⁵, and R⁶ are independently methyl, fluoro and hydrogen. In some examples, each R² is methyl and each R⁶ is fluoro. In some examples, each R² is fluoro and each R⁴ is methyl. In some examples, each R² and R⁶ are methyl, and each R⁴ is fluoro. In some examples, each R² is methyl and each R⁴ is fluoro. In some examples, each R² is methyl. Examples of homogenous catalysts that may be used for the oligomerization are discussed further with respect to FIG. 4.

Generally, the homogenous catalysts are activated. After the complexes have been synthesized, catalyst systems may be formed by combining them with activators in any manner known from the literature, including by supporting them for use in slurry or gas phase polymerization. The catalyst systems may also be added to or generated in solution polymerization or bulk polymerization (in the monomer). The catalyst system typically comprises a complex as described above and an activator such as alumoxane or a non-coordinating anion. Activation may be performed using alumoxane solution including methyl alumoxane, referred to as MAO, as well as modified MAO, referred to herein as MMAO, containing some higher alkyl groups to improve the solubility. Particularly useful MAO can be purchased from Albemarle, typically in a 10 wt % solution in toluene. In some examples, the catalyst system employed uses an activator selected from alumoxanes, such as methyl alumoxane, modified methyl alumoxane, ethyl alumoxane, iso-butyl alumoxane, and the like.

When an alumoxane or modified alumoxane is used, the complex-to-activator molar ratio is from about 1:3000 to 10:1; alternatively 1:2000 to 10:1; alternatively 1:1000 to 10:1; alternatively 1:500 to 1:1; alternatively 1:300 to 1:1; alternatively 1:200 to 1:1; alternatively 1:100 to 1:1; alternatively 1:50 to 1:1; alternatively 1:10 to 1:1. When the activator is an alumoxane (modified or unmodified), some examples select the maximum amount of activator at a 5000-fold molar excess over the catalyst precursor (per metal catalytic site). The preferred minimum activator-to-complex ratio is 1:1 molar ratio.

Activation may also be performed using non-coordinating anions, referred to as NCA's, of the type described in EP 277 003 A1 and EP 277 004 A1. NCA may be added in the form of an ion pair using, for example, [DMAH]+[NCA]− in which the N,N-dimethylanilinium (DMAH) cation reacts with a basic leaving group on the transition metal complex to form a transition metal complex cation and [NCA]−. The cation in the precursor may, alternatively, be trityl. Alternatively, the transition metal complex may be reacted with a neutral NCA precursor, such as B(C6F₅)₃, which abstracts an anionic group from the complex to form an activated species. Useful activators include N,N-dimethylanilinium tetrakis (pentafluorophenyl)borate (i.e., [PhNMe₂H]B(C₆F₅)₄) and N,N-dimethylanilinium tetrakis (heptafluoronaphthyl)borate, where Ph is phenyl, and Me is methyl.

Additionally, activators useful herein include those described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,247,687 at column 169, line 50 to column 174, line 43, particularly column 172, line 24 to column 173, line 53.

Non-coordinating anion (NCA) is defined to mean an anion either that does not coordinate to the catalyst metal cation or that does coordinate to the metal cation, but only weakly. The term NCA is also defined to include multicomponent NCA-containing activators, such as N,N-dimethylanilinium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, that contain an acidic cationic group and the non-coordinating anion. The term NCA is also defined to include neutral Lewis acids, such as tris(pentafluorophenyl)boron, that can react with a catalyst to form an activated species by abstraction of an anionic group. An NCA coordinates weakly enough that a neutral Lewis base, such as an olefinically or acetylenically unsaturated monomer can displace it from the catalyst center. Any metal or metalloid that can form a compatible, weakly coordinating complex may be used or contained in the noncoordinating anion. Suitable metals include, but are not limited to, aluminum, gold, and platinum. Suitable metalloids include, but are not limited to, boron, aluminum, phosphorus, and silicon. A stoichiometric activator can be either neutral or ionic. The terms ionic activator, and stoichiometric ionic activator can be used interchangeably. Likewise, the terms neutral stoichiometric activator, and Lewis acid activator can be used interchangeably. The term non-coordinating anion includes neutral stoichiometric activators, ionic stoichiometric activators, ionic activators, and Lewis acid activators.

In an example described herein, the non-coordinating anion activator is represented by the following formula (1):

(Z)_(d) ⁺(A^(d−))  (1)

wherein Z is (L-H) or a reducible Lewis acid; L is a neutral Lewis base; H is hydrogen and (L-H)⁺ is a Bronsted acid; A^(d−) is a non-coordinating anion having the charge d−; and d is an integer from 1 to 3.

When Z is (L-H) such that the cation component is (L-H)d+, the cation component may include Bronsted acids such as protonated Lewis bases capable of protonating a moiety, such as an alkyl or aryl, from the catalyst precursor, resulting in a cationic transition metal species, or the activating cation (L-H)d+ is a Bronsted acid, capable of donating a proton to the catalyst precursor resulting in a transition metal cation, including ammoniums, oxoniums, phosphoniums, silyliums, and mixtures thereof, or ammoniums of methylamine, aniline, dimethylamine, diethylamine, N-methylaniline, diphenylamine, trimethylamine, triethylamine, N,N-dimethylaniline, methyldiphenylamine, pyridine, p-bromo N,N-dimethylaniline, p-nitro-N,N-dimethylaniline, phosphoniums from triethylphosphine, triphenylphosphine, and diphenylphosphine, oxoniums from ethers, such as dimethyl ether diethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, and dioxane, sulfoniums from thioethers, such as diethyl thioethers and tetrahydrothiophene, and mixtures thereof.

When Z is a reducible Lewis acid, it may be represented by the formula: (Ar₃C+), where Ar is aryl or aryl substituted with a heteroatom, or a C₁ to C₄₀ hydrocarbyl, the reducible Lewis acid may be represented by the formula: (Ph₃C+), where Ph is phenyl or phenyl substituted with a heteroatom, and/or a C1 to C40 hydrocarbyl. In an example, the reducible Lewis acid is triphenyl carbenium.

Examples of the anion component Ad− include those having the formula [Mk+Qn]d− wherein k is 1, 2, or 3; n is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, or 3, 4, 5 or 6; n−k=d; M is an element selected from Group 13 of the Periodic Table of the Elements, or boron or aluminum, and Q is independently a hydride, bridged or unbridged dialkylamido, halide, alkoxide, aryloxide, hydrocarbyl radicals, said Q having up to 20 carbon atoms with the proviso that in not more than one occurrence is Q a halide, and two Q groups may form a ring structure. Each Q may be a fluorinated hydrocarbyl radical having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or each Q is a fluorinated aryl radical, or each Q is a pentafluoryl aryl radical. Examples of suitable Ad− components also include diboron compounds as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,895, which is fully incorporated herein by reference.

In an example in any of the NCA's represented by Formula 1 described above, the anion component Ad− is represented by the formula [M*k*+Q*n*]d*− wherein k* is 1, 2, or 3; n* is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 (or 1, 2, 3, or 4); n*−k*=d*; M* is boron; and Q* is independently selected from hydride, bridged or unbridged dialkylamido, halogen, alkoxide, aryloxide, hydrocarbyl radicals, said Q* having up to 20 carbon atoms with the proviso that in not more than 1 occurrence is Q* a halogen.

The techniques described herein also relate to a method to oligomerize olefins comprising contacting olefins (such as ethylene) with a catalyst complex as described above and an NCA activator represented by the Formula (2):

R_(n)M**(ArNHal)_(4-n)  (2)

where R is a monoanionic ligand; M** is a Group 13 metal or metalloid; ArNHal is a halogenated, nitrogen-containing aromatic ring, polycyclic aromatic ring, or aromatic ring assembly in which two or more rings (or fused ring systems) are joined directly to one another or together; and n is 0, 1, 2, or 3. Typically the NCA comprising an anion of Formula 2 also comprises a suitable cation that is essentially non-interfering with the ionic catalyst complexes formed with the transition metal compounds, or the cation is Z_(d) ⁺ as described above.

In an example in any of the NCA's comprising an anion represented by Formula 2 described above, R is selected from the group consisting of C₁ to C₃₀ hydrocarbyl radicals. In an example, C₁ to C₃₀ hydrocarbyl radicals may be substituted with one or more C₁ to C₂₀ hydrocarbyl radicals, halide, hydrocarbyl substituted organometalloid, dialkylamido, alkoxy, aryloxy, alkysulfido, arylsulfido, alkylphosphido, arylphosphide, or other anionic substituent; fluoride; bulky alkoxides, where bulky means C₄ to C₂₀ hydrocarbyl radicals; —SRa, —NR^(a) ₂, and —PR^(a) ₂, where each R^(a) is independently a monovalent C₄ to C₂₀ hydrocarbyl radical comprising a molecular volume greater than or equal to the molecular volume of an isopropyl substitution or a C₄ to C₂₀ hydrocarbyl substituted organometalloid having a molecular volume greater than or equal to the molecular volume of an isopropyl substitution.

In an example in any of the NCA's comprising an anion represented by Formula 2 described above, the NCA also comprises cation comprising a reducible Lewis acid represented by the formula: (Ar₃C+), where Ar is aryl or aryl substituted with a heteroatom, and/or a C₁ to C₄₀ hydrocarbyl, or the reducible Lewis acid represented by the formula: (Ph₃C+), where Ph is phenyl or phenyl substituted with one or more heteroatoms, and/or C₁ to C₄₀ hydrocarbyls.

In an example in any of the NCA's comprising an anion represented by Formula 2 described above, the NCA may also comprise a cation represented by the formula, (L-H)d+, wherein L is an neutral Lewis base; H is hydrogen; (L-H) is a Bronsted acid; and d is 1, 2, or 3, or (L-H)d+ is a Bronsted acid selected from ammoniums, oxoniums, phosphoniums, silyliums, and mixtures thereof.

Further examples of useful activators include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,297,653 and 7,799,879, which are fully incorporated by reference herein.

In an example, an activator useful herein comprises a salt of a cationic oxidizing agent and a non-coordinating, compatible anion represented by the Formula (3):

(OX^(e+))_(d)(A^(d−))_(e)  (3)

wherein OX^(e+) is a cationic oxidizing agent having a charge of e+; e is 1, 2 or 3; d is 1, 2 or 3; and A^(d−) is a non-coordinating anion having the charge of d− (as further described above). Examples of cationic oxidizing agents include: ferrocenium, hydrocarbyl-substituted ferrocenium, Ag⁺, or Pb⁺². Suitable examples of A^(d−) include tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate.

Activators useful in catalyst systems herein include: trimethylammonium tetrakis(perfluoronaphthyl)borate, N,N-dimethylanilinium tetrakis(perfluoronaphthyl) borate, N,N-diethylanilinium tetrakis(perfluoronaphthyl)borate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(perfluoronaphthyl)borate, trimethylammonium tetrakis(perfluorobiphenyl)borate, N,N-dimethylanilinium tetrakis(perfluorobiphenyl)borate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(perfluorobiphenyl)borate, and the types disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,297,653, which is fully incorporated by reference herein.

Suitable activators also include: N,N-dimethylanilinium tetrakis (perfluoronaphthyl)borate, N,N-dimethylanilinium tetrakis(perfluorobiphenyl)borate, N,N-dimethylanilinium tetrakis(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)borate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(perfluoronaphthyl)borate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(perfluorobiphenyl)borate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)borate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(perfluorophenyl)borate, [Ph3C+][B(C6F5)4-], [Me3NH+][B(C6F5)4-]; 1-(4-(tris(pentafluorophenyl)borate)-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenyl)pyrrolidinium; and tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, 4-(tris(pentafluorophenyl)borate)-2,3,5,6-tetrafluoropyridine.

In an example, the activator comprises a triaryl carbonium (such as triphenylcarbenium tetraphenylborate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl) borate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis-(2,3,4,6-tetrafluorophenyl)borate, triphenyl carbenium tetrakis(perfluoronaphthyl)borate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(perfluorobiphenyl)borate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl) phenyl)borate).

In an example, two NCA activators may be used in the polymerization and the molar ratio of the first NCA activator to the second NCA activator can be any ratio. In an example, the molar ratio of the first NCA activator to the second NCA activator is 0.01:1 to 10,000:1, or 0.1:1 to 1000:1, or 1:1 to 100:1.

In an example, the NCA activator-to-catalyst ratio is a 1:1 molar ratio, or 0.1:1 to 100:1, or 0.5:1 to 200:1, or 1:1 to 500:1 or 1:1 to 1000:1. In an example, the NCA activator-to-catalyst ratio is 0.5:1 to 10:1, or 1:1 to 5:1.

In an example, the catalyst compounds can be combined with combinations of alumoxanes and NCA's (see for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,153,157; 5,453,410; EP 0 573 120 B1; WO 94/07928; and WO 95/14044 which discuss the use of an alumoxane in combination with an ionizing activator, all of which are incorporated by reference herein).

In an example, when an NCA (such as an ionic or neutral stoichiometric activator) is used, the complex-to-activator molar ratio is typically from 1:10 to 1:1; 1:10 to 10:1; 1:10 to 2:1; 1:10 to 3:1; 1:10 to 5:1; 1:2 to 1.2:1; 1:2 to 10:1; 1:2 to 2:1; 1:2 to 3:1; 1:2 to 5:1; 1:3 to 1.2:1; 1:3 to 10:1; 1:3 to 2:1; 1:3 to 3:1; 1:3 to 5:1; 1:5 to 1:1; 1:5 to 10:1; 1:5 to 2:1; 1:5 to 3:1; 1:5 to 5:1; 1:1 to 1:1.2.

Alternately, a co-activator or chain transfer agent, such as a group 1, 2, or 13 organometallic species (e.g., an alkyl aluminum compound such as tri-n-octyl aluminum), may also be used in the catalyst system herein. The complex-to-co-activator molar ratio is from 1:100 to 100:1; 1:75 to 75:1; 1:50 to 50:1; 1:25 to 25:1; 1:15 to 15:1; 1:10 to 10:1; 1:5 to 5:1; 1:2 to 2:1; 1:100 to 1:1; 1:75 to 1:1; 1:50 to 1:1; 1:25 to 1:1; 1:15 to 1:1; 1:10 to 1:1; 1:5 to 1:1; 1:2 to 1:1; 1:10 to 2:1. When the catalyst compounds are ligated metal dihalide compounds, a co-activator is always used when an NCA activator is used.

Other catalysts, including heterogeneous catalyst such as zeolites, may be used for the oligomerization. Zeolites that may be suitable for this conversion include, but are not limited to, 10-ring zeolites such as ZSM-5 (MFI), ZSM-11 (MEL), ZSM-48 (MRE), and the like, with Si/Al₂ ratios from 5 to 500. The zeolites are used in their proton form and may or may not be promoted with metals by ion exchange or impregnation. In addition, the binder used during formulation can have an effect on the yield and product slate. Other reaction chemistries may be used for the oligomerization, such as free radical reactions. In some examples, these alternate catalysts and reaction chemistries are used with further separation steps to remove other products before or after dimerization or alkylation processes.

The oligomerization process can be performed as a single step process or a two-step process. In a single step process, all of the oligomerization is performed in a single stage or in a single reactor in the oligomerization reactor 120. The oligomerization feed stream 118 is introduced into the single stage generally as a gas phase feed. The oligomerization feed stream 118 is contacted with the homogeneous catalyst 122 under effective oligomerization conditions. A solvent, such as hexane, cyclohexane, or toluene, may be used for the oligomerization process, and recycled. The impure ethylene feed may be contacted with the homogeneous catalyst 122 at a temperature of 20° C. to 300° C. In some examples, the reaction temperature is at least 25° C., or at least 50° C., or at least 100° C., and is 250° C. or less, or 225° C. or less. The total pressure can be from 1 atm (100 kPa) to 200 atm (20.2 MPa). In some examples, the total pressure is 100 atm (10.1 MPa) or less. In some examples, the oligomerization feed is contacted with the catalyst at a hydrogen partial pressure that is at least 1% of the total pressure, such as at least 5% of the total pressure or at least 10% of the total pressure or up to about 50% on a volumetric basis. The reaction forms a raw oligomer stream 124 that can then be fractionated in a distillation column 126. An optional step of to quench the catalyst may be used, which consists of using a base, either aqueous or organic, before the fractionation.

In the distillation column 126, three streams may be separated from the raw oligomer stream 124. These may include a light olefinic stream 128, an intermediate olefinic stream 130 and a heavy olefinic stream 132. It may be noted that the olefinic streams 128, 130, and 132 may not be composed of 100% olefinic compounds, but may include a number of other compounds, such as paraffinic compounds, that are removed in the same boiling point ranges as the olefinic compounds.

The light olefinic stream 128 may include, for example, linear alpha-olefins having from about four carbon atoms to about 10 carbon atoms and unreacted ethylene. Further, as higher molecular weight compounds are formed, the amounts of paraffinic compounds may increase as well. The light olefinic stream 128 may be processed to separate an unreacted ethylene stream 134 which may be combined with the oligomerization feed stream 118 and provided to the oligomerization reactor 120. After separation of the unreacted ethylene stream 134, the remaining stream 136 may be processed to recover the light alpha-olefins, for example, having less than about 12 carbon atoms. This separation may be performed by a distillation column, a cold box, or other separation methods.

The intermediate olefinic stream 130 may be provided to a dimerization reactor 138. As an example, the intermediate olefinic stream 130 may include compounds having about 12 carbon atoms to compounds having about 22 carbon atoms, although this may be adjusted based on the takeoff point in the distillation column 126. In the dimerization reactor 138, the intermediate olefinic stream 130 may be contacted with a homogenous or heterogeneous catalyst to be dimerized to form carbon compounds having about 24 carbon atoms to about 44 carbon atoms. The reaction may be run at a temperature of about 50° C. to about 400° C., and a pressure of about 50 psig to about 2000 psig. The dimerized stream 140 may be returned to the distillation column 126, in which lower carbon number compounds, such as unreacted compounds having about 12 carbon atoms to about 22 carbon atoms, may be further sent to the dimerization reactor 138 for processing.

The heavy olefinic stream 132 may have at least about 24 carbon atoms. To lower the amounts of contaminants, as well as to upgrade the final products, the heavy olefinic stream 132 may be provided to a hydro-processing reactor 142 to remove contaminants and improve product properties, such as cold flow properties. For example, hydrotreatment or mild hydrocracking can be used for removal of contaminants, and optionally to provide some viscosity index uplift, while hydrocracking and hydroisomerization, termed catalytic HDC/HDI, may be used to improve cold flow properties.

Hydro-Processing

As used herein, “hydro-processing” includes any hydrocarbon processing that is performed in the presence of hydrogen. The hydrogen may be added to the hydro-processing reactor 142 as a hydrogen treat stream 144. The hydrogen treat stream 144 is fed or injected into a vessel or reaction zone or hydro-processing zone in which the hydro-processing catalyst is located. The hydrogen treat stream 144 may be pure hydrogen or a hydrogen-containing gas, which is a gas stream containing hydrogen in an amount that is sufficient for the intended reactions. The hydrogen treat stream 144 may include one or more other gasses, such as nitrogen and light hydrocarbons, that do not interfere with or affect either the reactions or the products. Impurities, such as H, S and NH, are undesirable and would typically be removed from the hydrogen treat stream 144 before it is conducted to the reactor. The hydrogen treat stream 144 introduced into a reaction stage may include at least 50 vol. % hydrogen or at least 75 vol. % hydrogen. The products of the hydro-processing reactor 142, termed a hydro-processed stream 146, may have lower contaminants, including metals and heteroatom compounds, as well as improved viscosities, viscosity indices, saturates content, low temperature properties, volatilities and depolarization, and the like.

Various types of hydro-processing can be used in the production of fuels and base stocks, such as hydroconversion, hydrocracking, hydrogenation, hydrotreating, hydrodesulfurization, hydrodenitrogenation, hydrodemetallation, and hydroisomerization, among others. Typical processes include a demetallation process to remove metallic remnants of the catalyst. Further, a catalytic dewaxing, or hydrocracking/hydroisomerization (HDC/HDI) process, may be included to modify viscosity properties or cold flow properties, such as pour point and cloud point. The hydrocracked or dewaxed feed can then be hydrofinished, for example, to saturate olefins and aromatics from the heavy olefinic stream 132. In addition to the above, a hydrotreatment stage can also be used for contaminant removal. The hydrotreatment of the oligomer feed to remove contaminants may be performed prior to or after the hydrocracking or the HDC/HDI.

In the discussion below, a stage in the hydro-processing reactor 142 can correspond to a single reactor or a plurality of reactors. In some examples, multiple reactors can be used to perform one or more of the processes, or multiple parallel reactors can be used for all processes in a stage. Each stage or reactor may include one or more catalyst beds containing hydro-processing catalyst. Note that a catalyst bed in the discussion below may refer to a partial physical catalyst bed. For example, a catalyst bed within a reactor could be filled partially with a hydrocracking catalyst and partially with an HDC/HDI catalyst. For convenience in description, even though the two catalysts may be stacked together in a single catalyst bed, the hydrocracking catalyst and the HDC/HDI catalyst can each be referred to conceptually as separate catalyst beds.

As an example, the hydro-processing reactor 142 shown in FIG. 1(A) includes a demetallation reactor 142A and a hydrocracking/hydroisomerization (HDC/HDI) reactor 142B, shown as separate reactors or stages.

Hydrodemetallation

The demetallation reactor 142A includes a demetallation catalyst and operates at about 200-500° C. and 50-1200 psi. The demetallation reactor removes metals in the homogeneous catalyst, such as Fe and Al, from the organic components, which are deposited on the solid catalysts. The demetallation reactor is typically used for the removal of metals in petroleum oil. The metals in petroleum oil exists as metal complexes, much like the metals in the homogeneous catalysts.

Hydroisomerization/Hydrocracking (HDC/HDI)

In the HDC/HDI reactor 142B, suitable HDC/HDI (dewaxing) catalysts may include molecular sieves such as crystalline aluminosilicates, or zeolites. In various examples, the molecular sieve includes ZSM-5, ZSM-22, ZSM-23, ZSM-35, ZSM-48, SAPO-11, zeolite Beta, or zeolite Y, or includes combinations thereof, such as ZSM-23 and ZSM-48, or ZSM-48 and zeolite Beta. Molecular sieves that are selective for dewaxing by isomerization, as opposed to cracking, may be used, such as ZSM-48, ZSM-23, SAPO-11 or any combinations thereof. The molecular sieves may include a 10-member ring 1-D molecular sieve. Examples include EU-1, ZSM-35 (or ferrierite), ZSM-11, ZSM-57, NU-87, SAPO-11, ZSM-48, ZSM-23, and ZSM-22. Some of these materials may be more efficient, such as EU-2, EU-11, ZBM-30, ZSM-48, or ZSM-23. Note that a zeolite having the ZSM-23 structure with a silica to alumina ratio of from 20:1 to 40:1 may be referred to as SSZ-32. Other molecular sieves that are isostructural with the above materials include Theta-I, NU-10, EU-13, KZ-1, and NU-23. The HDC/HDI catalyst may include a binder for the molecular sieve, such as alumina, titania, silica, silica-alumina, zirconia, or a combination thereof, for example alumina and titania or silica and zirconia, titania, or both.

In various examples, the catalysts according to the disclosure further include a hydrogenation catalyst to saturate olefins and aromatics, which may be termed hydrofinishing herein. The hydrogenation catalyst typically includes a metal hydrogenation component that is a Group VI and/or a Group VIII metal. In some examples, the metal hydrogenation component is a Group VIII noble metal. For example, the metal hydrogenation component may be Pt, Pd, or a mixture thereof. Further, the metal hydrogenation component may be a combination of a non-noble Group VIII metal with a Group VI metal. Suitable combinations can include Ni, Co, or Fe with Mo or W, or, in some examples, Ni with Mo or W.

The metal hydrogenation component may be added to the catalyst in any convenient manner. For example, the metal hydrogenation component may be combined with the catalyst using an incipient wetness. In this technique, after combining a zeolite and a binder, the combined zeolite and binder can be extruded into catalyst particles. These catalyst particles may then be exposed to a solution containing a suitable metal precursor. In some examples, metal can be added to the catalyst by ion exchange, where a metal precursor is added to a mixture of zeolite (or zeolite and binder) prior to extrusion.

The amount of metal in the catalyst may be at least about 0.1 wt. % based on catalyst, or at least about 0.15 wt. %, or at least about 0.2 wt. %, or at least about 0.25 wt. %, or at least about 0.3 wt. %, or at least about 0.5 wt. % based on catalyst. The amount of metal in the catalyst may be about 20 wt. % or less based on catalyst, or about 10 wt. % or less, or about 5 wt. % or less, or about 2.5 wt. % or less, or about 1 wt. % or less. For examples where the metal is Pt, Pd, another Group VIII noble metal, or a combination thereof, the amount of metal may be from about 0.1 to about 5 wt. %, about 0.1 to about 2 wt. %, or about 0.25 to about 1.8 wt. %, or about 0.4 to about 1.5 wt. %. For examples where the metal is a combination of a non-noble Group VIII metal with a Group VI metal, the combined amount of metal may be from about 0.5 wt. % to about 20 wt. %, or about 1 wt. % to about 15 wt. %, or about 2.5 wt. % to about 10 wt. %.

The HDC/HDI catalysts may also include a binder. In some examples, the HDC/HDI catalysts may use a low surface area binder. A low surface area binder represents a binder with a surface area of about 100 m²/g or less, or 80 m²/g or less, or about 70 m²/g or less. The amount of zeolite in a catalyst formulated using a binder can be from about 30 wt. % zeolite to about 90 wt. % zeolite relative to the combined weight of binder and zeolite. In some examples, the amount of zeolite may be at least about 50 wt. % of the combined weight of zeolite and binder, such as at least about 60 wt. % or from about 65 wt. % to about 80 wt. %.

A zeolite can be combined with binder in any convenient manner. For example, a bound catalyst can be produced by starting with powders of both the zeolite and binder, combining and mulling the powders with added water to form a mixture, and then extruding the mixture to produce a bound catalyst of a desired size. Extrusion aids can also be used to modify the extrusion flow properties of the zeolite and binder mixture.

Process conditions in a catalytic HDC/HDI zone in a may include a temperature of from about 200 to about 450° C., or from about 270 to about 400° C., a hydrogen partial pressure of from about 1.8 MPag to about 34.6 MPag (about 250 psig to about 5000 psig), or from about 4.8 MPag to about 20.8 MPag, and a hydrogen circulation rate of from about 35.6 m³/m³ (200 SCF/B) to about 1781 m³/m³ (10,000 SCF/B), or from about 178 m³/m³ (1000 SCF/B) to about 890.6 m³/m³ (5000 SCF/B). In other examples, the conditions can include temperatures in the range of about 343° C. (600° F.) to about 435° C. (815° F.), hydrogen partial pressures of from about 3.5 MPag-20.9 MPag (about 500 psig to 3000 psig), and hydrogen treat gas rates of from about 213 m³/m³ to about 1068 m³/m³ (1200 SCF/B to 6000 SCF/B). These latter conditions may be suitable, for example, if the HDC/HDI stage is operating under sour conditions, e.g., in the presence of high concentrations of sulfur compounds.

The liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) can vary depending on the ratio of hydrocracking catalyst used to hydroisomerization catalyst in the HDC/HDI catalyst. Relative to the combined amount of hydrocracking and hydroisomerization catalyst, the LHSV may be from about 0.2 h⁻¹ to about 10 h⁻¹, such as from about 0.5 h⁻¹ to about 5 h⁻¹ and/or from about 1 h⁻¹ to about 4 h⁻¹. Depending on the ratio of hydrocracking catalyst to hydroisomerization catalyst used, the LHSV relative to only the HDC/HDI catalyst can be from about 0.25 h⁻¹ to about 50 h⁻¹, such as from about 0.5 h⁻¹ to about 20 h⁻¹, or from about 1.0 h⁻¹ to about 4.0 h⁻¹.

Hydrotreatment Conditions

Hydrotreatment may be used to reduce the sulfur, nitrogen, and aromatic content of the heavy olefinic stream 132, for example, removing nitrogen compounds from the oligomerization catalyst or sulphur compounds from the feedstock. The catalysts used for hydrotreatment may include hydro-processing catalysts that include at least one Group VIII non-noble metal (Columns 8-10 of IUPAC periodic table), such as Fe, Co, or Ni, or Co or Ni, and at least one Group VI metal (Column 6 of IUPAC periodic table), such as Mo or W. Such hydro-processing catalysts may include transition metal sulfides that are impregnated or dispersed on a refractory support or carrier such as alumina or silica. The support or carrier itself typically has no significant or measurable catalytic activity. Substantially carrier- or support-free catalysts, commonly referred to as bulk catalysts, generally have higher volumetric activities than their bound counterparts.

In addition to alumina or silica, other suitable support or carrier materials can include, but are not limited to, zeolites, titania, silica-titania, and titania-alumina. Suitable aluminas include porous aluminas, such as gamma or eta forms, having average pore sizes from about 50 to about 200 Angstrom (A), or about 75 to about 150 Å; a surface area from about 100 to about 300 m²/g, or about 150 to about 250 m²/g; and a pore volume of from about 0.25 to about 1.0 cm³/g, or about 0.35 to about 0.8 cm³/g. Generally, any convenient size, shape, or pore size distribution for a catalyst suitable for hydrotreatment of a distillate (including lubricant base oil) boiling range feed in a conventional manner may be used. Further, more than one type of hydro-processing catalyst can be used in one or multiple reaction vessels. A Group VIII non-noble metal, in oxide form, may be present in an amount ranging from about 2 wt. % to about 40 wt. %, or from about 4 wt. % to about 15 wt. %. A Group VI metal, in oxide form, can typically be present in an amount ranging from about 2 wt. % to about 70 wt. %, or, for bound catalysts, from about 6 wt. % to about 40 wt. % or from about 10 wt. % to about 30 wt. %. These weight percentages are based on the total weight of the catalyst. Suitable metal catalysts include cobalt/molybdenum (for example, including about 1-10% Co as oxide and about 10-40% Mo as oxide), nickel/molybdenum (including about 1-10% Ni as oxide and about 10-40% Co as oxide), or nickel/tungsten (including about 1-10% Ni as oxide and about 10-40% W as oxide) on alumina, silica, silica-alumina, or titania, among others.

The hydrotreatment is carried out in the presence of hydrogen, for example, from the hydrogen treat stream 144. Hydrotreating conditions can include temperatures of about 200° C. to about 450° C., or about 315° C. to about 425° C.; pressures of about 250 psig (1.8 MPag) to about 5000 psig (34.6 MPag) or about 300 psig (2.1 MPag) to about 3000 psig (20.8 MPag); liquid hourly space velocities (LHSV) of about 0.1 hr⁻¹ to about 10 hr⁻¹; and hydrogen to treat rates of about 200 SCF/Btu (35.6 m³/m³), to 10,000 SCF/Btu (1781 m³/m³) or about 500 (89 m³/m³) to about 10,000 SCF/B (1781 m³/m³) or about 3000 psig (3.5 MPag-20.9 MPag), and hydrogen treat gas rates of from about 213 m³/m³ to about 1068 m³/m³ (1200 SCF/Btu 6000 SCF/Btu).

Hydrofinishing and Aromatic Saturation Process

In some examples, a hydrofinishing stage, an aromatic saturation stage, or both may be used. These stages are termed finishing processes herein. Finishing processes may improve color and stability in a final product by lowering the amounts of unsaturated or oxygenated compounds in the final product streams. The finishing may be performed in the hydro-processing reactor 142 after the last hydrocracking or hydroisomerization stage. Further, the finishing may occur after fractionation of a hydro-processed stream 146 in a product distillation column 148. If finishing occurs after fractionation, the finishing may be performed on one or more portions of the fractionated product. In some examples, the entire effluent from the last hydrocracking or HDC/HDI process can be finished prior to fractionation into individual product streams.

In some examples, the finishing processes, including hydrofinishing and aromatic saturation, refer to a single process performed using the same catalyst. Alternatively, one type of catalyst or catalyst system can be provided to perform aromatic saturation, while a second catalyst or catalyst system can be used for hydrofinishing. Typically the finishing processes will be performed in a separate reactor from the HDC/HDI or hydrocracking processes to facilitate the use of a lower temperature for the finishing processes. However, an additional hydrofinishing reactor following a hydrocracking or HDC/HDI process, but prior to fractionation, may still be considered part of a second stage of a reaction system conceptually.

Finishing catalysts can include catalysts containing Group VI metals, Group VIII metals, and mixtures thereof. In an example, the metals may include a metal sulfide compound having a strong hydrogenation function. The finishing catalysts may include a Group VIII noble metal, such as Pt, Pd, or a combination thereof. The mixture of metals may also be present as bulk metal catalysts wherein the amount of metal is 30 wt. % or greater based on the catalyst. The metals and metal compounds may be bound, for example, on a metal oxide. Suitable metal oxide supports include low acidic oxides such as silica, alumina, silica-aluminas or titania, or, in some examples, alumina.

The catalysts for aromatic saturation may include at least one metal having relatively strong hydrogenation function on a porous support. Typical binding materials include amorphous or crystalline oxide materials such as alumina, silica, and silica-alumina. The binding materials to may also be modified, such as by halogenation or fluorination. The metal content of the catalyst may be as high as 20 wt. % for non-noble metals. In an example, a hydrofinishing catalyst may include a crystalline material belonging to the M41S class or family of catalysts. The M41S family of catalysts are mesoporous materials having high silica content. Examples include MCM-41, MCM-48 and MCM-50. Examples include MCM-41, MCM-48, MCM-49, and MCM-50. Other catalysts that may be used include Beta, Y, and other large pore zeolites (12-member ring MR and up). If separate catalysts are used for aromatic saturation and hydrofinishing, an aromatic saturation catalyst can be selected based on activity or selectivity for aromatic saturation, while a hydrofinishing catalyst can be selected based on activity for improving product specifications, such as product color and polynuclear aromatic reduction.

Hydrofinishing conditions can include temperatures from about 125° C. to about 425° C., or about 180° C. to about 280° C., a hydrogen partial pressure from about 500 psig (3.4 MPa) to about 3000 psig (20.7 MPa), or about 1500 psig (10.3 MPa) to about 2500 psig (17.2 MPa), and an LHSV from about 0.1 hr⁻¹ to about 5^(hr-1) LHSV, or, in some examples, 0.5 hr⁻¹ to 1.5 hr⁻¹. Additionally, a hydrogen treat gas rate of from about 35.6 m³/m³ to about 1781 m³/m³ (200 SCF/B to 10,000 SCF/B) can be used.

Fractionation and Products

After hydro-processing, the hydro-processed oligomers in the hydro-processed stream 146 can be fractionated in the product distillation column 148. Any number of fractions may be isolated, including, for example, a distillate stream 150 that may include hydrocarbon fluids, such as gasoline, naphtha, diesel, or a distillate fuel fraction, among others. Fractions that form base stocks for lubricants and other hydrocarbon products, may be isolated, including, for example, a light neutral stream 152, a medium neutral stream 154, and a heavy neutral stream 156.

A bottoms stream 158 may also be isolated. In some examples, the bottoms stream 158 is returned to the hydro-processing reactor 142 for further processing.

FIG. 1(B) is a simplified block diagram of a recovery system 108 for dehydrating the raw ethylene stream 106 formed from OCM or ODE-C2, in accordance with examples. Like numbered items are as described with respect to FIG. 1. The recovery system 108 may be as simple as a condenser 160. In this example, the raw ethylene stream 106, including ethylene, water from the oxidation process, and any water from the light gaseous feed stream 102 is fed to the condenser 160. A coolant-in stream 162 may include water from a cooling tower, or lower temperature coolants for enhanced removal of water, such as propane, ammonia, or other coolants. A coolant-out stream 164 may return the coolant, warmed by condensing water, to a coolant system. The condensed water may be removed in a water stream 166, while the dehydrated stream 110 exits through a different port on the vessel and is provided to downstream processing units, such as the catalytic reactor 112. As described herein, other water removal systems may be used, such as flash tanks, caustic systems, absorption systems, and the like. In some examples, the purification system may remove other compounds, such as sulfur compounds and nitrogen compounds, lowering poison concentrations before the oligomerization process.

FIG. 1(C) is a simplified block diagram of a CO₂ removal system 116, in accordance with examples. In this example, the converted feed 114 is treated in a counter-current contacting tower 168. In the counter-current contacting tower 168, the converted feed 114 is flowed up the tower, while a lean absorbent stream 170 is flowed down the tower. The lean absorbent stream 170 may be released in the counter-current contacting tower 168 from spray nozzles 171, while other structures, such as trays, may be used to increase contact time. A rich adsorbent stream 172 exits the counter-current contacting tower 168 at the bottom, while the oligomerization feed stream 118 exits the top. Other systems may be used for CO₂ removal, such as pressure swing adsorption units, and the like.

FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of another system 200 for producing base stocks from a C1 or C2 feedstock, in accordance with examples. Like numbered items are as described with respect to FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B). The intermediate olefinic stream 130 is not limited to being upgraded by dimerization, but may be upgraded by other processes, such as alkylation.

As used herein, “alkylation” refers to a process in which a feed stream containing olefins, such the intermediate olefinic stream 130, is reacted with another stream containing hydrocarbons, such as a mixed xylenes or naphthalene stream 174, among others, in an alkylation reactor 176. The process converts at least a portion of the olefinic compounds to higher molecular compounds. An alkylation reactor may react the feed streams 174 and 130 in the presence of a catalyst, for example, an acid, such as sulfuric acid or hydrofluoric acid, or a solid acid, such as a zeolite, for example zeolite Y, zeolite beta, and zeolite of the MWW family, among others. The alkylation may be run at a temperature of about 50° C. to about 250° C., and a pressure of about 300 psig to about 1000 psig. The process provides an alkylated stream 178 that may be processed in the alkylation reactor 176 to remove acid and other contaminants before being provided to a separation or distillation column 180.

In the distillation column 180, light or unreacted compounds, or a lights stream, may be separated into an unreacted stream 182 and blended with the intermediate olefinic stream 130 to be fed back into the alkylation reactor 176. A heavy product stream 184, or a heavies stream, may be separated out and provided to an HDC/HDI reactor 142B.

FIG. 3 is a process flow diagram of a method 300 for producing base oil stocks from a C1 or C2 feedstock, in accordance with examples. The method 300 begins at block 302, with the oxidation of a C1 or C2 stream to form an impure ethylene mixture. As described herein, the impure ethylene mixture may include ethylene, water, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and contaminants, depending on the oxidation process.

At block 304, the impure ethylene stream may be dehydrated. This may be performed by passing the impure ethylene stream through a condenser to remove water from the impure ethylene stream. Other actions may be performed for the purification, including, for example, passing the output stream from the condenser through a coldbox to remove any remaining traces of water or other contaminants.

At block 306, carbon monoxide in the impure ethylene mixture is selectively oxidized to form carbon dioxide. At block 308, the carbon dioxide is removed from the impure ethylene mixture, for example, by adsorption in a counter-current tower or a pressure swing adsorption unit.

At block 310, the ethylene stream may be oligomerized to form a raw oligomer stream. As described herein, this may be performed by contacting the ethylene stream with a homogenous catalyst to form the raw oligomer stream, wherein the raw oligomer stream has a substantial concentration of linear alpha olefins.

At block 312, a heavy olefinic stream is distilled from the intermediate stream. At block 314, the heavy olefinic stream is hydro-processed to form a hydro-processed stream. In the hydro-processing, the heavy olefinic stream may be hydrodemetallated to remove any traces of catalyst remaining from the oligomerization. The heavy olefinic stream may then be hydrocracked to form lower molecular weight compounds, for example, having a broader distribution. The heavy olefinic stream may be hydroisomerized to form a distribution of different isomers. Further, the heavy olefinic stream may be finished to decrease unsaturated and aromatic compounds in the hydro-processed stream.

At block 316, the hydro-processed stream is distilled to form the base stock. Distilling the hydro-processed stream may include separating a distillate stream, a naphtha stream, or both from the hydro-processed stream. Further, distilling the hydro-processed stream may include forming a heavy neutral oil stock stream, a medium neutral oil stock stream, or a light neutral oil stock stream, or any combinations thereof.

EXAMPLES Example 1: Linear Alpha Olefins of Different Schulz-Flory Molecular Distribution May be Produced from Impure Ethylene Using a Homogeneous Catalyst

The molecular distribution may be controlled by the catalyst, for example, through the ligands. FIG. 4 is a drawing 400 of related homogeneous catalysts, having different ligands, that may be used for the oligomerization or dimerization processes, in accordance with examples. The catalysts are labeled A-D, and are described further with respect to the oligomerization reactions. Catalyst E may be used in the dimerization process.

The tests of the catalysts in the oligomerization process were performed in a 500 milliliter (mL) autoclave. 100 mL toluene solution containing 20 micromoles (μmol) catalyst and 4000 μmol MAO activator was charged to the autoclave. Then a predetermined amount of N₂, or a mixture of H₂ and N₂ in some examples, as described with respect to Tables 1-3, was charged into the autoclave to bring the autoclave to a preset pressure. The autoclave was then heated to 50° C. before ethylene was introduced. The reaction was exothermic and ethylene addition was controlled to keep the temperature below about 120° C. and a final total pressure of about 400 psi. The oligomerization reaction was allowed to proceed for approximately 30 minutes.

The autoclave was then cooled to room temperature and overhead gas pressure was released via opening of a valve. The reaction product, in the form of a solution or suspension was then recovered, quenched with an aqueous HCl solution, and the aqueous phase containing Fe and Al was discarded. The reaction product was analyzed via gas chromatography (GC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques.

The gas chromatography analysis for ethylene oligomers was performed using a method that enabled coverage up to C30. The column was 30 m long, with an inner diameter of 0.32 millimeters and a packing of 0.25 μm, available as a HP-5 column from Agilent. The carrier gas was nitrogen. The injector was held at a temperature of 150° C. and 10 psi. A 50 to 1 split ratio was used with a 121 mL per minute (mL/min) total flow rate and an injection size of 1-5 μL. The column oven was set to a 50° C. initial temp with a 10° C./min ramp rate to a 320° C. final temperature. It was held at the 320° C. temperature for 8 minutes giving a total run time of 35 minutes. The detector was a flame ionization detector held at 300° C., using a 30 mL/min flow of hydrogen, a 250 mL/min flow of air, and a 25 mL/min makeup stream of nitrogen. The gas chromatography analysis for dimerization or alkylation products was performed using a high temperature method to enable coverage up to C100. The column was 6 m long, with an inner diameter of 0.53 millimeters and a packing of 0.15 μm, available as a MXT-1 SimDist column from Restek company of State College, Pa. The carrier gas was nitrogen. The injector was held at a temperature of 300° C. and 0.9 psi. A 15 to 1 split ratio was used with a 27.4 mL per minute (mL/min) total flow rate and an injection size of 1 μL. The column oven was set to an 80° C. initial temp with a 15° C./min ramp rate to a 400° C. final temperature. It was held at the 400° C. temperature for 15 minutes giving a total run time of 36.3 minutes. The detector was a flame ionization detector held at 300° C., using a 40 mL/min flow of hydrogen, a 200 mL/min flow of air, and a 45 mL/min makeup stream of nitrogen.

The C-13 NMR analysis was performed using a Bruker 400 MHz Advance III spectrophotometer. The samples were dissolved in chloroform-D (CDCl₃) or toluene-D8 in a 5 mm NMR tube at concentrations of between 10 to 15 wt. % prior to being inserted into the spectrophotometer. The C-13 NMR data was collected at room temperature (20° C.). The spectra were acquired with time averaging to provide a signal to noise level adequate to measure the signals of interest. Prior to data analysis, spectra were referenced by setting the chemical shift of the CDCl₃ solvent signal to 77.0 ppm.

H-1 NMR data was collected at room temperature. The data was recorded using a maximum pulse width of 45 degree, 8 seconds between pulses and signal averaging of 120 transients.

The analyses confirmed that the products were mostly linear alpha-olefins (LAOS) having Schulz-Flory (S-F) distributions. The S-F distribution constant, α, was determined by averaging the molar ratios: C16/C14; C14/C12; and C12/C10 in the product, as determined by gas chromatography.

The information in Table 1 shows the basic comparison between oligomerizations performed using catalysts A-D. For these runs, the reaction conditions included about 200 psi or ethylene, about 200 psi of hydrogen, a reaction temperature of about 80 to 100° C., 100 mL of toluene (as a catalyst solvent), 20 μmol of catalyst, and a ratio of 200 mol/mol of activator (co-catalyst) to catalyst, such as the MAO activators described herein.

TABLE 1 Comparison of oligomerization by catalyst A-D % Linear Alpha Alpha % Branched % Linear Example Catalyst Value Olefin* Olefins* Paraffin* X1 A 0.339 66.6 22.1 1.6 X2 B 0.667 92.9 5.2 1.2 X3 C 0.828 96.0 1.1 2.4 X4 D 0.947 34.5 0.2 64.7 *Presented in C12 fraction as determined by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

Catalyst B was chosen to determine the effects of changing the ratio of hydrogen to nitrogen on the reaction. The results are shown in Table 2. For these runs, the reaction conditions included about 200 psi or ethylene, about 200 psi of hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen, a reaction temperature of about 80 to 100° C., 100 mL of toluene, 20 μmol of catalyst, and a ratio of 200 mol/mol of activator (co-catalyst) to catalyst. As can be seen by the results in Table 2, changing the hydrogen to nitrogen ratio has relatively small effects on the operation of the catalyst.

TABLE 2 Comparison of oligomerization under changing ratios of hydrogen and nitrogen using catalyst B % Linear % Branched % Linear Example Catalyst H2/N2, psi Alpha Value Alpha Olefin* Olefins* Paraffin* X2 B 200/0  0.667 92.9 5.2 1.2 X5 B  20/180 0.666 92.2 6.3 0.8 X6 B  2/198 0.698 89.2 8.6 1.1 *Presented in C12 fraction as determined by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

Catalyst C was chosen to determine the effects of changing the solvent for the reaction. The results are shown in Table 3. For these runs, the reaction conditions included about 200 psi or ethylene, about 200 psi of hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen, a reaction temperature of about 80 to 100° C., 100 mL of a solvent as identified in Table 3, 20-40 μmol of catalyst, and a ratio of 100-200 mol/mol of activator (co-catalyst) to catalyst.

TABLE 3 Comparison of oligomerization using different solvents and catalyst C % Linear Alpha % Branched % Linear Example Catalyst Solvent Alpha Value Olefin* Olefins* Paraffin* X3 C Toluene 0.828 96.0 1.1 2.4 X7 C Isohexane 0.825 92.2 1.28 3.7 X9 C Cyclohexane 0.826 91.4 1.87 3.9 *Presented in C12 fraction as determined by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

The results of the runs in Tables 1-3 indicate that controlling the ligand of the Fe-complex, may be used to control both the paraffin/olefin ratio and the S-F distribution product composition. It may also be noted that the oligomerization using catalysts A-D is tolerant of a large amount of H₂ and a variety of aromatic, naphthenic, and paraffinic hydrocarbons as solvents.

FIG. 5 is a plot 500 of the Schultz-Flory distribution of a product that includes different carbon numbers, in accordance with examples. The weight fraction of the Schulz-Flory product distribution with experimentally obtained a values may be plotted against the carbon number in the product. The same data can be recast to show lumped fraction distribution as a function of a value.

FIG. 6 is a plot 600 of the effect of the change in carbon number composition on a weight fraction of a product as the Schultz-Flory distribution changes, in accordance with examples. The plot 600 shows C24-, C24-C50, and C52+ fractions as a function of a value, indicating that the lube molecule range C24-C50 has a maximum value of about 40 wt. % at an a value around 0.88. This further illustrates that the lube/LAO split may be effectively controlled by using different catalysts that offer different a values.

Example 2: Dimerizing an Intermediate Olefinic Stream (C14-C24) into Lube Range Molecules

The dimerization may be performed by either heterogeneous catalysts, such as solid acid catalysts, or homogeneous organometallic catalysts. For example, solid acids include proton form zeolite, acid treated clay, amorphous silica-alumina, acid form ion-exchange resins, and various WO3/ZrO2 mixed metal oxides.

To test the dimerization, a 19 g mixture of C14-C24 linear alpha olefins was treated with 200 mg of Catalyst E and 1 mL of MAO at room temperature overnight. The resulting mixture was diluted with hexane and then hydrolyzed with aqueous HCl.

FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B) are plots of gas chromatograms illustrating the changes caused by dimerization 702 of the alpha olefin mixture, in accordance with examples. The plots 700 are of the starting material 704 and the product 706. The plot of the starting material 704 shows a first set of peaks 708 from the C14-C24 linear alpha-olefins (LAOS) generated by a homogeneous catalyst, such as catalyst E.

After dimerization, a second set of peaks 710 show a significant decrease in the amount of C14-C24 LAOS, as well as some broadening, indicating reaction of the LAOS. A new set of peaks 712 is present after the reaction, corresponding to C26 to C52 (and higher) olefins. This illustrates the effectiveness of dimerization in increasing the molecular weight of the LAOS. Other techniques, such as alkylation, may be used to increase the molecular weight of the LAOS.

After dimerization, a second set of peaks 710 show a significant decrease in the amount of C14-C24 LAOS, as well as some broadening, indicating reaction of the LAOS. A new set of peaks 712 is present after the reaction, corresponding to C26 to C52 (and higher) olefins. This illustrates the effectiveness of dimerization in increasing the molecular weight of the LAOS. Other techniques, such as alkylation, may be used to increase the molecular weight of the LAOS.

Example 3: Alkylation of Aromatic Compounds with C12-C22 Linear Alpha Olefins into Lube Range Molecules

Both liquid and solid acid catalysts may be used for the aromatic alkylation of LAOs with various aromatic compounds. Solid acids include proton form zeolite, acid treated clay, amorphous silica-alumina, acid form ion-exchange resins, and various WO3/ZrO2 mixed metal oxides. The alkylkation is described further with respect to FIG. 8.

FIG. 8 is a series of sequential plots 800 of gas chromatograms illustrating the change caused by alkylation of a mixture 802 of C14-C24 linear alpha-olefins (LAOS) over a five hour time-span, in accordance with examples. During the alkylation the LAOs are reacted with a mixture of xylenes over an acid clay catalyst at a temperature of about 115° C. The alkylation both broadens the distributions of the LAOS, as xylenes are added, and increases the molecular weights, as multiple LAO chains may be added to a single xylene.

FIGS. 9(A) and (B) are gas chromatograms of the product of alkylation of an alpha olefin mixture after six hours comparing different catalyst, in accordance with examples. FIG. 9(A) is a plot of a gas chromatogram of the reaction of C14-C24 LAOs with mixed xylenes over an MCM-49 catalyst at 115° C. for six hours. FIG. 9(B) is a plot of a gas chromatogram of the reaction of C14-C24 LAOs with mixed xylenes over an acid clay at 115° C. for six hours. While both catalysts perform the alkylation, the acid clay catalyst shown in FIG. 9(B) is more effective at making materials with higher molecular weights.

Example 4: Hydroisomerizing Lube Range Olefin Molecules to Lube Oil

The hydroisomerization of olefins may broaden the molecular weight distributions of the olefins, improving characteristics such as pour point, VI, and others. This may be performed by a number of acid catalysts, such as the ZSM-48 catalyst described in the synthesis procedure below.

Preparation of Formulated ZSM-48 Catalyst

To form a bound ZSM-48 catalyst, 65 parts ZSM-48 zeolite crystals are combined with 35 parts pseudoboehmite alumina dry powder, on a calcined dry weight basis. The ZSM-48 and the pseudoboehmite alumina dry powder are placed in a muller or a mixer and mixed for about 10 to 30 minutes. Sufficient water is added to the ZSM-48 and alumina during the mixing process to produce an extrudable paste.

The extrudable paste is formed into a 1/16 inch quadralobe extrudate using an extruder. After extrusion, the 1/16th inch quadralobe extrudate is dried at a temperature ranging from about 250° F. (about 120° C.) to about 325° F. (about 163° C.). After drying, the dried extrudate is heated to about 1000° F. (about 538° C.) under flowing nitrogen. The extrudate is then cooled to ambient temperature and humidified with saturated air or steam. After the humidification, the extrudate is ion exchanged with about 0.5 to about 1 N ammonium nitrate solution. The ammonium nitrate solution ion exchange is repeated. The ammonium nitrate exchanged extrudate is then washed with deionized water to remove residual nitrate prior to calcination in air. After washing the wet extrudate, it is dried. The exchanged and dried extrudate is then calcined in a nitrogen/air mixture to about 1000° F. (about 538° C.). Following calcination, the extrudate was exposed to steam at about 700° F. (about 371° C.) for about three hours.

The formulated ZSM-48 catalyst was added to the dimerized product described with respect to FIG. 7(A) in Example 2. The mixture was heated in an closed autoclave at hydroisomerization condition of about 200-250° C. and about 500-1000 psi H₂ for 1-5 days.

FIGS. 10(A) and 10(B) are plots of gas chromatograms illustrating the changes caused by hydroisomerization 1002 of an olefin mixture 1004, in accordance with examples. As described with respect to FIG. 7(A), the olefin mixture 1004 includes C14-C24 olefins 1006 and C28-C52 olefins 1008. The gas chromatogram of the reaction products 1010 in is shown in FIG. 7(B). The comparison of the GC traces of the materials before hydroisomerization (FIG. 10(A)) and after hydroisomerization (FIG. 10(B)) are shown below, which clearly indicate isomerization of the molecules (broadening of peaks).

FIG. 11 is a plot 1100 of the DEPT-135 C-13 NMR spectra illustrating the changes caused by hydroisomerization 1102 of an alpha olefin mixture, in accordance with examples. As used herein, DEPT is an acronym for distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer. The technique is used to determine the multiplicity of carbon atoms substitution with hydrogen. The DEPT-135 experiment is carried out using a pulse with a flip angle of 135°. The DEPT-135 C-13 NMR spectra of the products of hydroisomerization of dimerized C14-C24 LAOs showed the presence of isolated methyl (CH3, ˜20 ppm) branching 1104, and the associated methine (CH, ˜32 ppm) carbon 1106 and methylene carbons 1108 (CH2, ˜27 and ˜37 ppm) adjacent to the methine (CH) carbon.

TABLE 4 Comparisons of dimerized and hydroisomerized products. Example X9 X10 X11 X12 Description Hydro- Hydro- Dimerized isomerized Dimerized isomerized C14-C24 LAO X9 C14 + LAO X11 Mn by GPC 412 374 464 405 Mw by GPC 466 437 658 463 PD by GPC 1.13 1.17 1.42 1.14 Tm by DSC, ° C. 25.4 6.4 47.0 30.2 Tg by DSC, ° C. −16.5 −66.5 −5.4 −25.2

In Table 4, Mn is the number averaged molecular weight, Mw is the weight averaged molecular weight, and PD is the polydispersity, calculated as Mw/Mn. The GPC or gel permeation chromatography is calibrated with polyethylene standards. DSC is differential scanning calorimetry. Tm is the melting point or crystallization temperature of the material and Tg is the glass transition temperature of the material.

TABLE 5 Comparisons of alkylated and hydroisomerized products. Example X14 X15 X16 X17 Description Xylene Hydro- Xylene Hydro- alkylated isomerized alkylated isomerized C14-C24 LAOs X14 C14 + LAO X16 Mn by GPC 289 299 455 369 Mw by GPC 313 322 1051 510 PD by GPC 1.08 1.07 2.31 1.39 Tm by DSC, ° C. −2.1 −11.6 68 −19.9 Tg by DSC, ° C. −58.9 −83.9 −56 −78.2

-   -   The abbreviations are as defined with respect to Table 4.

FIG. 12 is a plot 1200 of the DEPT-135 C-13 NMR spectra illustrating the changes caused by hydroisomerization 1202 of an alkylated alpha olefin mixture, in accordance with examples. Similarly, the DEPT-135 C-13 NMR spectra before and after hydroisomerization of xylene alkylated with C14-C24 LAOs showed the presence of isolated methyl (CH3, ˜20 ppm) branching 1204, its associated methine (CH, ˜32 ppm) carbon 1206 and methylene carbons (CH2, ˜27 and ˜37 ppm) 1208 adjacent to the methine (CH) carbon. The reduction of CH3 (˜19 ppm) 1210 on xylenes is attributed to the hydrogenation of the aromatic ring.

FIG. 13 is a plot 1300 of a simulated distillation of alkylated alpha olefin mixtures, in accordance with examples. The simulated distillation was run using the techniques described in ASTM D2887-16a “Standard Test Method for Boiling Range Distribution of Petroleum Fractions by Gas Chromatography.” The boiling range of the hydroisomerized materials, such as Example X17 in Table 5, as determined by simulated distillation cover two standard base stock examples, Stnd 1: GTL 3.6 and Stnd 2: GTL 6.0 cSt. This indicates that the suggesting the possibility of fractionating into different viscosity grades of Group III+ base stocks.

Example 5: Selective Oxidation of Carbon Monoxide

Most organometallic complex-based oligomerization catalysts are poisoned by CO. Accordingly, CO may need to be removed from the impure ethylene stream. CO may be removed in syngas reforming by reaction with water, allowing the production of hydrogen (CO+H₂O═CO₂+H₂). In the process CO is selectively oxidized to CO₂ and H₂ is not. However, the present example demonstrates that CO can be converted to CO₂ without the oxidation of H₂ and ethylene. As a result, the hydrogenation of ethylene observed at high CO conversion may not be an issue as H₂ is not present in a feed stream produced by OCM or ODE-C2.

The catalysts were tested in a 7 mm diameter stainless steel fixed bed reactor, which was set in a 5 kg brass heat sink. An electric furnace maintained catalyst temperatures at 30-300° C. Each catalyst was formed into 40-60 mesh pellets, and mixed with quartz to obtain catalyst loads of 0.05-0.5 g in a 10 cm length of the reactor. Gases were metered by mass flow controllers (available from Brooks). Gas feeds included (1) Hydrogen, (2) a mixture of 98% Ethylene with 1.75% Propylene and 0.25% CO, and (3) a mixture of 2% Oxygen with 98% Nitrogen. Water was delivered by pumps (available from Teledyne-Isco) and vaporized in capillary tubes at 180° C. to achieve steady flow. Typical feed compositions comprised about 50% H₂, 50% olefin, and 0.125% CO. Some runs included water and N₂ at 2-8% and O₂ at 0.1-0.3%. A gas chromatograph (GC, available from Wasson-ECE) detected all feeds and hydrocarbon products. H₂O, CO₂, and other oxygenates were not detected.

The selective oxidation of carbon monoxide was shown over Pt/Co/SiO₂ catalyst at 10 WHSV and 100 psig of 48% H₂, 47% ethylene (C₂═), 0.8% propylene (C3=), 0.12% CO, 0.1% O₂, 5% N₂, and 3% H₂O.

FIG. 14 is a plot 1400 of a selective oxidation of CO, in accordance with examples. The specific catalyst used in the example shown in FIG. 14 included a composition of 0.1% Pt/0.3% Co/SiO₂, formed from Pt(NH₃)₄(NO₃)₂, Co(NO₃)₂, and Arginine, which was impregnated on a catalyst support of Davisil 646. As shown in FIG. 14, CO conversion as high as 90% at 130° C., using this catalyst.

FIG. 15 is a plot 1500 of another selective oxidation of CO, in accordance with examples. The specific catalyst using an example shown in FIG. 15 included a composition of 1.0% Pt/3.0% Co/SiO2, Pt(NH₃)₄(NO₃)₂, Co(NO₃)₂, and Arginine, which was impregnated on a catalyst support of Davisil 646. As shown in FIG. 15, the CO conversion was as high as 85% at 75° C. using this catalyst.

In both cases the conversion was achieved with limited to no conversion of ethylene. With optimization of catalyst and reaction conditions, it is feasible that much higher conversion may be achievable. If trace quantities of CO remain after CO conversion, commercially available selective adsorption technologies, such as BASF's Cu based adsorption technology, may be used to remove <20 PPM levels of CO down to ppb levels.

Embodiments

The embodiments of the present techniques include any combinations of the examples in the following numbered paragraphs.

1. A system for manufacturing a base stock from a light gas stream, including an oxidation reactor configured to form a raw ethylene stream from the light gas stream, a separation system configured to remove water from the raw ethylene stream, a catalytic reactor configured to oxidize carbon monoxide in the raw ethylene stream, and a removal system configured to remove carbon dioxide from the raw ethylene stream. An oligomerization reactor is configured to oligomerize the raw ethylene stream to form an oligomer stream. A distillation column is configured to separate the oligomer stream into a light olefinic stream, wherein the distillation column is configured to recover a light alpha-olefin, an intermediate olefinic stream, and a heavy olefinic stream. A hydro-processing reactor is configured to hydro-process the heavy olefinic stream to form a hydro-processed stream, and a product distillation column is configured to separate the hydro-processed stream to form the base stock.

2. The system of Embodiment 1, wherein the oxidation reactor is configured to perform an oxidative coupling of methane (OCM).

3. The system of either of Embodiments 1 or 2, wherein the oxidation reactor is configured to perform an oxidative dehydration of ethane (ODE).

4. The system of any of Embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the removal system includes an amine column.

5. The system of any of Embodiments 1 to 4, including a dimerization reactor configured to dimerize the intermediate olefinic stream and return a dimerized stream to the distillation column.

6. The system of any of Embodiments 1 to 5, including an alkylation reactor configured to alkylate the intermediate olefinic stream and provide an alkylated stream to an alkylation distillation column.

7. The system of Embodiment 6, wherein the alkylation distillation column is configured to separate an unreacted olefin stream from the alkylated stream and return the unreacted olefin stream to the alkylation reactor.

8. The system of any of Embodiments 1 to 7, wherein the oligomerization reactor is configured to use a homogenous catalyst.

9. The system of Embodiment 8, wherein the homogenous catalyst includes an iron (II) pyridine-bis-imine (Fe-PBI) catalyst including a structure of

wherein Rn includes one, two, or three substituents, and wherein the substituents include CH₃, F, or both.

10. The system of any of Embodiments 1 to 9, wherein the hydro-processing reactor includes a demetallation unit.

11. The system of any of Embodiments 1 to 10, wherein the hydro-processing reactor includes a hydrocracking unit.

12. The system of any of Embodiments 1 to 11, wherein the hydro-processing reactor includes a hydroisomerization unit.

13. The system of any of Embodiments 1 to 12, wherein the product distillation column is configured to separate the hydro-processed stream into a distillate stream including naphtha, a heavy neutral stream, a medium neutral stream, and a light neutral stream.

14. A method for manufacturing a base stock from a light gas stream, including oxidizing the light gas stream to form an impure ethylene mixture, removing water from the impure ethylene mixture, oxidizing carbon monoxide in the impure ethylene mixture, and separating carbon dioxide from the impure ethylene mixture. The impure ethylene mixture is oligomerized to form a raw oligomer stream. A light olefinic stream is distilled from the raw oligomer stream and recovering a light alpha olefin from the light olefinic stream. A heavy olefinic stream is distilled from the raw oligomer stream, and hydro-processed to form a hydro-processed stream. The hydro-processed stream is distilled to form the base stock.

15. The method of Embodiment 14, including distilling an intermediate olefinic stream from the raw oligomer stream.

16. The method of Embodiment 15, including dimerizing the intermediate olefinic stream to form a dimerized stream, and distilling the dimerized stream with the raw oligomer stream.

17. The method of Embodiment 15, including alkylating the intermediate olefinic stream to form an alkylated stream, distilling the alkylated stream to form a lights stream and a heavies stream, combining the lights stream with the intermediate olefinic stream to form a combined stream, and alkylating the combined stream.

18. The method of Embodiment 17, including hydro-processing the heavies stream.

19. The method of any of Embodiments 14 to 18, wherein oligomerizing the impure ethylene mixture includes contacting the impure ethylene mixture with a homogenous catalyst including an iron (II) pyridine-bis-imine including a structure of

wherein Rn includes one, two, or three substituents, and wherein the substituents include CH₃, F, or both.

20. The method of any of Embodiments 14 to 19, including separating an unreacted ethylene stream from the impure ethylene mixture, and oligomerizing the unreacted ethylene stream with the impure ethylene mixture.

21. The method of any of Embodiments 14 to 20, wherein hydro-processing the heavy olefinic stream includes hydrocracking the heavy olefinic stream.

22. The method of any of Embodiments 14 to 21, wherein hydro-processing the heavy olefinic stream includes hydroisomerizing the heavy olefinic stream.

23. The method of any of Embodiments 14 to 22, wherein distilling the hydro-processed stream includes separating a distillate stream, a naphtha stream, or both from the hydro-processed stream.

24. The method of any of Embodiments 14 to 23, wherein distilling the hydro-processed stream includes forming a heavy neutral oil stock stream, a medium neutral oil stock stream, or a light neutral oil stock stream, or any combinations thereof.

25. A system for manufacturing a base oil stock from a light gas stream, including an oxidation reactor to form a raw ethylene stream from the light gas stream, a separation system configured to remove water from the raw ethylene stream, a catalytic reactor to oxidize carbon monoxide in the raw ethylene stream, and a removal system to remove carbon dioxide from the raw ethylene stream. An oligomerization reactor is configured to convert the raw ethylene stream to a higher molecular weight stream by contacting the raw ethylene stream with a homogenous catalyst. A distillation column is configured to recover a light alpha-olefin (LAO) stream. The distillation column is configured to separate an intermediate olefinic stream from the higher molecular weight stream and send the intermediate olefinic stream to a dimerization reactor or an alkylation reactor. The distillation column is configured to separate a heavy olefinic stream from the higher molecular weight stream. A hydro-processing reactor is configured to demetallate the heavy olefinic stream, to crack the heavy olefinic stream, to form isomers in the heavy olefinic stream, or to hydrogenate olefinic bonds in the heavy olefinic stream, or any combinations thereof. A product distillation column is included in the system to separate the heavy olefinic stream to form a number of base stock streams.

26. The system of Embodiment 25, wherein the dimerization reactor is configured to dimerize the intermediate olefinic stream to form a dimerized stream and return the dimerized stream to the distillation column.

27. The system of either of Embodiments 25 or 26, wherein the alkylation reactor is configured to alkylate the intermediate olefinic stream to form an alkylated stream.

28. The system of Embodiment 27, including an alkylation distillation column configured to separate the alkylated stream into a reacted stream and an unreacted stream, and return the unreacted stream to the alkylation reactor.

29. The system of any of Embodiments 25 to 28, wherein the homogenous catalyst includes an iron (II) pyridine-bis-imine (Fe-PBI) compound including a structure of

wherein Rn includes one, two, or three substituents, and wherein the substituents include CH₃, F, to or both.

While the present techniques may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, the embodiments discussed above have been shown only by way of example. However, it should again be understood that the techniques is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed herein. Indeed, the present techniques include all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents falling within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims. 

1. A system for manufacturing a base stock from a light gas stream, comprising: an oxidation reactor configured to form a raw ethylene stream from the light gas stream; a separation system configured to remove water from the raw ethylene stream; a catalytic reactor configured to oxidize carbon monoxide in the raw ethylene stream; a removal system configured to remove carbon dioxide from the raw ethylene stream; an oligomerization reactor configured to oligomerize the raw ethylene stream to form an oligomer stream; a distillation column configured to separate the oligomer stream into: a light olefinic stream, wherein the distillation column is configured to recover a light alpha-olefin; an intermediate olefinic stream; and a heavy olefinic stream; a hydro-processing reactor configured to hydro-process the heavy olefinic stream to form a hydro-processed stream; and a product distillation column configured to separate the hydro-processed stream to form the base stock.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the oxidation reactor is configured to perform an oxidative coupling of methane (OCM).
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the oxidation reactor is configured to perform an oxidative dehydration of ethane (ODE).
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the removal system comprises an amine column.
 5. The system of claim 1, comprising a dimerization reactor configured to dimerize the intermediate olefinic stream and return a dimerized stream to the distillation column.
 6. The system of claim 1, comprising an alkylation reactor configured to alkylate the intermediate olefinic stream and provide an alkylated stream to an alkylation distillation column.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the alkylation distillation column is configured to separate an unreacted olefin stream from the alkylated stream and return the unreacted olefin stream to the alkylation reactor.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the oligomerization reactor is configured to use a homogenous catalyst.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the homogenous catalyst comprises an iron (II) pyridine-bis-imine (Fe-PBI) catalyst comprising a structure of:

wherein Rn comprises one, two, or three substituents; and wherein the substituents comprise CH₃, F, or both.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydro-processing reactor comprises a demetallation unit.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydro-processing reactor comprises a hydrocracking unit.
 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydro-processing reactor comprises a hydroisomerization unit.
 13. The system of claim 1, wherein the product distillation column is configured to separate the hydro-processed stream into: a distillate stream comprising naphtha; a heavy neutral stream; a medium neutral stream; and a light neutral stream.
 14. A method for manufacturing a base stock from a light gas stream, comprising: oxidizing the light gas stream to form an impure ethylene mixture; removing water from the impure ethylene mixture; oxidizing carbon monoxide in the impure ethylene mixture; separating carbon dioxide from the impure ethylene mixture; oligomerizing the impure ethylene mixture to form a raw oligomer stream; distilling a light olefinic stream from the raw oligomer stream and recovering a light alpha olefin from the light olefinic stream; distilling a heavy olefinic stream from the raw oligomer stream; hydro-processing the heavy olefinic stream to form a hydro-processed stream; and distilling the hydro-processed stream to form the base stock.
 15. The method of claim 14, comprising distilling an intermediate olefinic stream from the raw oligomer stream.
 16. The method of claim 15, comprising: dimerizing the intermediate olefinic stream to form a dimerized stream; and distilling the dimerized stream with the raw oligomer stream.
 17. The method of claim 15, comprising: alkylating the intermediate olefinic stream to form an alkylated stream; distilling the alkylated stream to form a lights stream and a heavies stream; combining the lights stream with the intermediate olefinic stream to form a combined stream; and alkylating the combined stream.
 18. The method of claim 17, comprising hydro-processing the heavies stream.
 19. The method of claim 14, wherein oligomerizing the impure ethylene mixture comprises contacting the impure ethylene mixture with a homogenous catalyst comprising an iron (II) pyridine-bis-imine comprising a structure of:

wherein Rn comprises one, two, or three substituents; and wherein the substituents comprise CH₃, F, or both.
 20. The method of claim 14, comprising: separating an unreacted ethylene stream from the impure ethylene mixture; and oligomerizing the unreacted ethylene stream with the impure ethylene mixture.
 21. The method of claim 14, wherein hydro-processing the heavy olefinic stream comprises hydrocracking the heavy olefinic stream.
 22. The method of claim 14, wherein hydro-processing the heavy olefinic stream comprises hydroisomerizing the heavy olefinic stream.
 23. The method of claim 14, wherein distilling the hydro-processed stream comprises separating a distillate stream, a naphtha stream, or both from the hydro-processed stream.
 24. The method of claim 14, wherein distilling the hydro-processed stream comprises forming a heavy neutral oil stock stream, a medium neutral oil stock stream, or a light neutral oil stock stream, or any combinations thereof.
 25. A system for manufacturing a base oil stock from a light gas stream, comprising: an oxidation reactor to form a raw ethylene stream from the light gas stream; a separation system configured to remove water from the raw ethylene stream; a catalytic reactor to oxidize carbon monoxide in the raw ethylene stream; a removal system to remove carbon dioxide from the raw ethylene stream; an oligomerization reactor configured to convert the raw ethylene stream to a higher molecular weight stream by contacting the raw ethylene stream with a homogenous catalyst; a distillation column configured to recover a light alpha-olefin (LAO) stream; the distillation column configured to separate an intermediate olefinic stream from the higher molecular weight stream and send the intermediate olefinic stream to a dimerization reactor or an alkylation reactor; the distillation column configured to separate a heavy olefinic stream from the higher molecular weight stream; a hydro-processing reactor configured to demetallate the heavy olefinic stream, to crack the heavy olefinic stream, to form isomers in the heavy olefinic stream, or to hydrogenate olefinic bonds in the heavy olefinic stream, or any combinations thereof; and a product distillation column to separate the heavy olefinic stream to form a plurality of base stock streams.
 26. The system of claim 25, wherein the dimerization reactor is configured to dimerize the intermediate olefinic stream to form a dimerized stream and return the dimerized stream to the distillation column.
 27. The system of claim 25, wherein the alkylation reactor is configured to alkylate the intermediate olefinic stream to form an alkylated stream.
 28. The system of claim 27, comprising an alkylation distillation column configured to separate the alkylated stream into a reacted stream and an unreacted stream, and return the unreacted stream to the alkylation reactor.
 29. The system of claim 25, wherein the homogenous catalyst comprises an iron (II) pyridine-bis-imine (Fe-PBI) compound comprising a structure of:

wherein Rn comprises one, two, or three substituents; and wherein the substituents comprise CH₃, F, or both. 